


The Ocean Between Our Homes

by Bunn1cula



Series: our ships were meant to break [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Communication Issues, DS-I, F/M, Long-Distance Relationship, Marriage, ailing parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 14:20:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11648316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunn1cula/pseuds/Bunn1cula
Summary: “Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous, how little time we have to talk.” Her shimmering hologram skittered and blinked from interference, seemingly in rhythm with her clipped tone. Arkanis Sector was very far from their kitchen in Coronet City, and there were countless cosmic bodies between them, throwing off electromagnetic waves and creating ion storms that could scramble transmissions into gibberish.But what she said next was clear: “I’m going back to Val Denn.”





	The Ocean Between Our Homes

“Ailsa, please…don’t.”

“Don’t what? Speak?”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“What exactly did you mean, then?” Not even the blue scan lines of the hologram could blur away the sharp blackness of her eyes. 

“I don’t want to have this conversation again. Please, I don’t want to argue.” The tension headache that started that morning had crept down his neck in the afternoon and settled into his shoulders by the evening. He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger until the phosphene bursts grew painfully bright. 

“Which conversation? The one about how you haven’t been home in months, or the one about my wanting to leave Corellia?”

“Both. N-neither…Ailsa —”

“Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous, how little time we have to talk.” Her shimmering hologram skittered and blinked from interference, seemingly in rhythm with her clipped tone. Arkanis Sector was very far from their kitchen in Coronet City, and there were countless cosmic bodies between them, throwing off electromagnetic waves and creating ion storms that could scramble transmissions into gibberish. 

But what she said next was clear: “I’m going back to Val Denn.”

“But I told you, Admiral Trager promised I’d be reassigned back to Coronet very soon. Things are finally coming together here, and I’m sure this phase I’m working on will soon be done.”

“Your mother is ill—did you know that?”

The twinge of concern that came with that news surprised him. “No.”

“Your father wants me to come live with them.”

“What in the universe for?”

“Tiaan, that is hard-hearted, even for you.”

He sighed. “So what, he wants you to take care of her?”

“Someone has to.”

“He can’t hire someone? A nurse or something?”

“I imagine he can. But he wants me.”

That prickle in his chest—it was not jealousy. He folded his hands on the desk. “When will you leave?”

“A few days, probably—a week at most. As soon as I can get things sorted here.”

“Will you sell the flat?”

“Bit early for that, don’t you think?” She took a sip from a wine glass of something that didn’t at all resemble her usual chilled Royal Emerald. 

“Well, I’m not going back to Corellia alone. I’ll comm Trager tomorrow, see about a post at least in the quadrant. And, who knows, maybe he’ll grant me a short furlough if I mention Mother.”

“Oh, Tiaan.” She blinked and turned her head, fluttering unpainted fingertips over her lips. 

He could hear the weepy voices of some holodrama playing in the background. It was distracting. He frowned; she never used to watch those things.

“Ailsa, what is the matter?” She didn’t answer right away and he became sullen. “Why can’t we ever just have a simple chat? It’s fucking lonely out here, you know.”

She slid the back of her index finger under her eye and swiveled her head from side to side, pointedly looking around the empty flat. “Lonely. You don’t say.”

He groaned. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I know how much you hate it there. Look…perhaps after we both get back home and settled we can…” he paused and swallowed thickly, “…start a family.”

She glanced down. “We’ll see.” 

“I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“We’ll talk about it.” Another sip of wine, this one longer. A sad little smile. 

He knew what it meant. He’d disappointed her again. Thousands of times by now. One of these days a smile like that would be the last thing he’d see of her and she’d be gone. He knew it. 

But he still tried. “I love you, you do know that, don’t you?”

Her nostrils flared as she took in a sharp breath. “Yes, of course I do.”

They were silent for a moment before he cleared his throat. “So, what’s the matter with Mother this time? Another binge, or more ‘bad nerves’?”

“Your father said a brain attack.”

“Oh.” He slouched back in the chair and rubbed a hand over the close-shorn hair at the crown of his head. “How bad is it?”

“I don’t think she’s able to speak. I’ll find out more when I get there.” She paused. “Would you like me to keep you informed?”

“Well, of course I do,” he said testily, looking away from her holo.

“Look, Tiaan, I don’t like getting involved in your family matters — and you know this — but your father has asked me to come and I can’t tell him no. And forgive me for saying so, but you really need to put aside whatever difficulty it is between the three of you long enough to come make your peace. Even if it’s temporary. I think if there was ever a time, it is now.”

He shut his eyes tightly. “I appreciate your concern, darling. Really, I do. But what’s between the three of us, as you say, well — it’s no use trying to fix.”

“Tiaan—”

“I’m done. I’m done talking about it. I’ve…I’ve got to go, I’m sorry. I’ll try to comm you in a few days. If I don’t talk to you before you leave, please have a safe flight.”

“Fine, fine. Thank you,” she said. _Asshole,_ she didn’t.

_Secure Imperial Communications transmission terminated at Coronet City hub_


End file.
